Wandering Monsters
So, my parents were talking to one of their neighbors recently, (a practice I do not endorse. Contact with people makes me a little jumpy) but the neighbor mentioned a brewery. A brewery that I had to drive nearly an hour to get to. A brewery known as Wondering Monsters.
Nestled far out in the middle of nowhere, Wandering Monsters has been around for less than 5 years, something I know only because I got my dog in the same parking lot as this brewery 5 years ago, and I do not recall seeing the brewery at that time… But, I could be horribly mistaken.
Look at me remembering to grab a pic of the outside! I remembered to do the thing! Huzzah!
Considering the distance I drove, I pondered once again breaking my 2 beer rule, but I was a good drunk today, greeting them as they open the doors for business for the day.
The inside is insanely spacious, with more than enough seating for just about any circumstance. …I should have taken a picture of the inside. They also had something called “duckpin” bowling. It has really short lanes, and was in it’s own area not too far from the bar. I was focused on the menu, both beer and food. While I didn’t opt to get food, their food menu was pretty nice. Check it out at the linked page above the image. I gotta say, the idea of getting some bread pudding was REALLY tempting. But the beer is what I came for (as well as my obligatory pint glass). I am only writing about places where I was able to get a pint glass. Because I collect pint glasses, and if you can’t sell me a pint glass, well… phooey on you. I do not have anyone in particular in mind cough Hiroshima Neighborly Brewing cough…
A little view of the beers currently on tap. You can see the duckpin bowling room on the left hand side of the image. Mayor Mooken was their newest offering, but it was an IPA so… I stuck to my favorites: Sours and stouts! So, my menu today is Pomona and Viator Obscura. Below, are my thoughts.
Look at that cloudy brew. Completely obscuring the world on the other side of the glass. This beauty is a mango and vanilla sour ale (although Untappd gave me a badge for stouts, so I’m confused). And it comes in at a rather nice 6.5% ABV. Frankly, this may be one of the single most dangerous beers I have ever had the pleasure of trying. It elbows out Urban Artifact’s Keypunch Salsa by having a higher ABV. But this beer is soooooo incredibly drinkable. I could not tell that it was a beer when drinking it. It honestly tasted like mango juice, and I love it for that. If I could sit back with a 6 pack of this, and a 6 pack of Keypunch Salsa, I would be in heaven. Sadly, neither beer comes in a 6 pack… or is even sold outside the brewery itself as far as I know. If it weren’t for the price (not complaining about price at all here, just mentioning it) and my personal limits, I might have pounded down several of this without a second thought. This beer alone would be enough to bring me back…
Oh sweet sweet stout. I love a good beer that is too dark to even let light through. This monster comes in at 10.5% ABV, and much like Pomona, this is dangerous. This tasted almost like drinking a cake. Definite chocolate flavor in this one. And I did taste some of the caramel, but I feel chocolate won the show. There wasn’t a heavy alcohol presence here, either. But, after trying the two beers, I can tell you, there is definitely alcohol in them, it’s just that the flavors of the beer drown out the alcoholic bite. This one did have some mild hints, but I could have pounded this one down in a single gulp.
Both beers today were incredibly good. Considering I had not heard of this brewery until… I want to say Tuesday, it is definitely one I want to keep on my radar. If I ever have the urge to drive an hour for a beer, this is a brewery that I wouldn’t mind seeing again.
